End of tenancy cleaning costs?

[Kstar8]

Hi all,
I wanted to know if anyone has paid for end of tenancy cleaning in greater London and could give me an idea as to what the cost was?
We're leaving a one bed flat that has to be cleaned professionally, including carpets and windows. I've had one quote returned so far for £182 not including windows. Is around £200 to be expected?

Any advice appreciated!

[biscuitkumquat]

When I had mine done, they charged £20 an hour.

Which included everything, including moving existing furniture, inside of appliances, washing down paintwork etc.

So for £182, you would get 9 hours work.

I would say slightly excessive, but not too bad.

[Kstar8]

Thanks biscuit! Was that recently and in London? I've just had another quote come back for over £200!
I don't know if I'm out of the loop or rightly shocked by the cost!

[bec3105]

Who are you getting the quotes from?
Companies, agents or private cleaners?

[Kstar8]

Hi Bec,
I'm getting the quotes from cleaning companies, mainly by googling "end of tenancy cleaning" and the area I live in.
I guess I want the reassurance that a company will do a good job so that there won't be any quibbles with the landlord over the presentation of the flat.
I'm not particularly expecting any issues to come up but it is an old flat and a bit like polishing a....you know what.

[bec3105]

Ask for a deep clean instead of an end of tenancy clean.
It shouldn't be any more than £80.

[StarUtopia]

The minute you mention the word 'tenancy' the price goes up.

Bit like mentioning 'wedding' when you're ordering flowers!

Just say you'd like a good one off clean :D whilst you're redecorating ;)

[Kstar8]

Aaaahhhh...ok! Thanks guys, that makes sense. I'll try again tomorrow.
I'm thinking about setting up my own cleaning company if I can charge that much!

[OliviaTJoyce]

I disagree with the above. Here's the reason - end of tenancy service is much more than an overpriced deep cleaning because it features more things. For example, the tenancy cleaning company we used the last time we were moving, gave us a 72 hour guarantee of the service (if the landlord is really picky or anything else goes wrong, this guarantee covers a full re-clean of the property). Besides that we got a deep oven cleaning for free as part of the service, our windows were cleaned from the inside and we booked a deep carpet cleaning with 50% off - something you are unable to get when you order one-off.
The logic is quite simple actually - they want to sell you as many services as possible, and they know what tenants need - that's why they offer you discounts and insured service. You won't get that with deep cleaning and you may, in fact, end up paying twice for a cleaning that you could have had done well the first time.

It's just my personal opinion, but I wouldn't have my deposit on stake for nothing. It's quite an amount :D

[GinaBambino]

We're just in the process of doing the same thing but up in Manchester. Everything has to be professionally cleaned (even though it wasn't clean when we moved in) so I've had 2 quotes one, for £160 and one for nearly £300! that included carpets, windows (inside and out). I'm in two minds whether to get it done, it isn't stipulated in our contract but when we handed our notice in, it was implied that it should be done. I've never had to do it before, but then again this is a letting agent that wanted a guarantor for a professional couple with 10 years renting references, good wages and ages 33 and 26!

[Kstar8]

Hi Olivia, are you London based? Can I asked how much and what company you went with?
I agree that I want to have it done properly as I don't want any issues over the deposit. I just had no idea how much it would cost. I think £180 is the cheapest I've had so far not including the windows (hard to access). We also live in a restricted parking area which we would have to cover for the cleaners.
The flat wasn't amazingly clean when we moved in although it apparently was professionally cleaned.

[OliviaTJoyce]

The price depends on the property's features - number of rooms, stairs, carpets, etc. I don't remember exactly, but I think we paid around £220 to get the cleaning done + deep cleaning of the carpets (which you need to request additionally, as the cleaning that comes with the tenancy service doesn't cover deep cleaning and stain removing, it's just plain carpet cleaning).
We got quotes from various companies just like you, but booked from A to Z cleaning because we liked what they offer best. I think you should continue asking around, but pay attention to the extras included in the service and the discount opportunities that a certain company offers you. It won't hurt to ask for a discount over the phone too, or mention if the quote seems a bit high to you.
I have one last tip. Do tell the cleaners if you have any preferences or you wish a certain area to get a little bit more attention. The key to get what you want is proper communication, in my opinion.

[Kstar8]

Thanks Olivia! Just rang them for a quote.
They knocked off a large amount there and then which makes me wonder how much of a mark up there is on these things especially if you are a tenant.
Obviously estate agents can be a lot more demanding with the price they will pay.

[wowfudge]

Olivia - do you have the inventory and check in report from when you moved in? That should state the level of cleanliness. You are only required to have the place cleaned to the level it was when you moved in. You cannot be forced to pay for professional cleaners.

[OliviaTJoyce]

That's true @wowfudge. If you have the time and energy to spare you can totally clean the property yourself. I was unable to at that particular moment and to be honest I didn't want to either.
@Kstar8 Have you tried to talk them into a lower price? It's a business, you know, everyone are fighting for their clients. Maybe if enough people tell them that the price is too high and cancel when not dropped, they will all lower the rates eventually? What quote did you received, if you don't mind me asking?

[Kstar8]

Our contract states it must be cleaned professionally, not just cleaned to a professional standard. It is an old flat with period features so even when sparkling clean it still looks a bit iffy as the fittings are so old. The kitchen and bathroom are dated so the worktops etc always look a bit sad regardless of being clean. I'm pregnant and we are renovating the house we need to move into so even if I could clean it myself it would be a big job for me.
A to Z offered £217 down from £242, including carpet cleaning but not including outside windows. Cheapest so far was £180 but the company don't have a phone number on their website (you may get one after booking I don't know) which would worry me in case of problems.

[OliviaTJoyce]

I wouldn't get a service from a website that has zero contacts except a booking form if I were you. Maybe ask the company to do the outside windows as well in order for you to get as much as you can for the money. If this isn't working for you either, you better continue to look for other companies, but don't consider the cheapest service to be the best choice.

[GreenTomatoJam]

Doesn't matter what's in the contract - it can't be enforced, you are only required to return it as it was given to you, less a bit of wear and tear.

I printed off a receipt myself when asked.

I actually went to the deposit protection scheme with mine, and the landlord was told to take a running jump.

[cantbelieveImquittingcoffee]

I own a flat in East London which i rent our since moving in with DP, and am in my 3rd round of tenants now (so have had 2 end of tenancy professional cleans). Interesting that in their contract too they are supposed to have one done, but then I pay for one as the LL, that not only just occurred to me!!
Anyway, most recent one was £160 (plus VAT I think). I haven't seen the results of this one, but the previous year the outgoing tenants left the flat in a bad way and the clean cost far more, but I saw it and it was AMAZING!! Like a new flat (they cleaned the outside of the front door FFS!). This was for a 3 bed flat with 1 receptions room, laminate floor so no carpets, upholstery was cleaned but not windows I don't think.

[Dmitri]

hey guys, this came up on google and I would like to ask if the prices mention are still within the same range? I'm about to have my first end of tenancy and I need a conscientious cleaning company. It is really important for my deposit refund after the tenancy ends, thank you

[RuthSovoie]

Dmitri, you know you could handle your own move out cleaning right? Unless you have an explicit clause in your tenancy agreement, your landlord can't bully you to hire a cleaning company... but if you choose to walk that path and play safe, I would recommend using a company that comes with solid guarantees, i.e. the fantastic cleaners, for they seem to offer a good 72 h re-clean guarantee. None of the few others I checked seem to have one, but to be honest I only sneak-peaked a few, so it's up to you. Otherwise I would suggest to start cleaning at least a week before your move-out date, and set aside at least a good 2 or 3 hours per day, depending on how big is your property ofc. You could hire a steam cleaner and handle most of the stuff yourself.

[DanglyEarOrnaments]

Judging by a recent discussion at our cleaning association, if the carpets, inside windows are to be included then members answers were saying average range: about £340 plus VAT ranging up to £260 including VAT plus another £220 approx inc VAT for the carpets on top.

That's to quote two answers given on 'how much do you charge for End Of Tenancy clean - 3 bed bungalow inc carpets, no oven, so I imagine slightly less for a one-bed flat but you get the picture.

Personally we used to do a lot of End-of-Tenancy but not carpet cleaning and charged around the £180-£200 plus VAT for the smallest job not including carpets as we don't sell that service. This was before we went domestic only, we don't have time for EOT cleans anymore, it's too hard to find and train the staff for it as it's a specialist area and to be honest we couldn't fit them in now, they take a team out of the schedule for a full day.

Just for info with regard to the prices above, our association is for professional cleaning business only, no cash in hand or non-insured business working 'under the radar' can join so prices discussed are professional rates only and cleaning staff will all be trained and equipped to do specialist cleans like End-of-Tenancy and the carpet cleaners are all fully qualified and insured for this and know how to handle the chemicals and equipment required for this type of specialist clean without causing damage.

[crazymumofthree]

We paid £320 for a 3 bed house in Greater London (paid in advance) this includes carpets and two sets of curtains plus normal deep clean. Not sure on windows.

[ProdigalSon]

I am having my end of tenancy done today and handing keys back tomorrow. For the quotes I have received, it can range from 180 to 250 depending on what you want to be done.

This is for a 2-bed terrace. I wanted additional deep carpet cleaning and one extra freezer clean. 1x oven and 1 x fridge is included and no outside windows cleaning necessary.

Its unfurnish, so no upholstery.

All I did was google end of tenancy cleaning with the town location.

What I look for on a e-comerce is the options selection on their booking form, where the detailed to no. flight of stairs is provided. It should be a completely modular service and customized. Otherwise, if it is just a high-level quote, I don't trust what the cleaners are supposed to produce.

--------------------
Example:

Please find below our offer for End of Tenancy Cleaning:

The price for End of Tenancy Cleaning of a 2 Bedroom House is £125.00

• 1 additional bathroom - £25.00
  

Professional carpet cleaning (50% discount together with End of tenancy cleaning):

• 2 x bedrooms is £70.00. With 50% discount applied is £35.00
  

• Living room is £40.00. With 50% discount applied is £20.00
  

• 1 flight of stairs is £35.00. With 50% discount applied is £17.00
  

Total price - £222.00

Each service includes cleaning of bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1 kitchen (+ one of each kitchen appliances), 1 living room, and 1 hallway. If there are additional areas, the price would be different.

Note:

· extra charge for additional stairs would be £ 10;

· extra charge for additional bathroom would be £ 25;

· extra charge for additional toilet would be £ 20;

· extra charge for additional fridge would be £ 25;

· extra charge for additional oven would be £ 25;

· extra charge for additional room would be £ 20-40;

· Note:

· balcony cleaning is not included in the service and if required the extra charge would be £20;

· blinds cleaning is not included in the service and if required the extra charge would be £5 per blind;

· walls, ceilings and external window cleaning is not included in the service!

External window cleaning is not included in the service and if required the price would be £5 per standard window (we can only clean the reachable ones - on the ground floor or if they open to the inside)

All the equipment and the cleaning materials are provided by the company.
--------------

I am not taking a risk with agency arguing for any additional cost to knock off my deposit and I also do not have the time to go through the initial inventory report to get it to a condition when I moved in.

All you should do is give an invoice to the agency and if they are not happy with certain areas of the cleaning, let the estate agent talk to the cleaners.

I simply don't need the hassle dealing with it.

I was willing to pay up to £250, and most offer deep carpet clean with a discount anyway.

FUN FACT: Having filled in a few online quote forms for London cleaning service (including coverage of my area), I started to receive multiple quotes with a signature of completely different company names. Magic cleaning, London cleaning service, end of tenancy cleaning...etc.

I followed up with a few calls to verify my spec on exactly what I wanted and release all these websites are actually run by the same people (mainly eastern European service providers). Essentially, there is really no point shopping around as most of these websites are just different shopfronts with the same guys. The standalone UK companies will charge you around £300 mark for a 2bed full service, so if you pay around 200 to 250, this is the market rate.

Hope this helps.

[Eesha]

My landlord charged 900 cleaning for a two bed flat. I believe he tried to pull a fast one on my flatmate who was not English. He even faked the invoice. Threat of legal action brought it down significantly!